“Imagine we just had a club where we can be after school with our friends and eat and destress,” stated Perzia Justice, vice president of the new Mindful Minds and Goodies Club (MMG) at Malden High.
Witnessing the pressures faced by teenagers in their academic and extracurricular pursuits, the founders of MMG sought to provide a space in which students could relieve themselves of their stress by participating in enjoyable activities and spending time with friends.
Zeina Khatib, president and founder of the club, headed its commencement. She described that the process was generally quick, with the idea dating back only a few months. Shortly after getting approval from Principal Christopher Mastrangelo, officers created an Instagram, Google Classroom, Google Forms, as well as put up flyers and shared the idea with their friends.
Advisor Molly Crellin, explained her support for the club, “I feel strongly that it’s a really important thing for students to take care of mindfulness and care for themselves.”
“I know people our age are struggling with mental health especially because of school and stuff like that. So I was like, I'm going to do something about it and start a club,” Khatib stated.
Expanding on her decision to be vice president of the club, Justice shared, “I know for me, especially when it comes to school, I just have a hard time keeping track of my classes. And I'm always home, trying to do my homework [and] finish stuff. So having a time at school where I can actually be with my friends and not have to worry really gained my attention.”
To spread mental awareness and foster “a place where we can all just come together and discuss emotions,” the club hosted its first meeting after school on February 9th in Crellin’s classroom, J264.
The first meeting consisted of a mental health check-in, time dedicated to getting to know everyone in the club, and a popular activity for relaxation- slime-making.
The idea stemmed from the officers’ personal enjoyment of making slime and Khatib’s goal of celebrating the start of the club “with a bang.”
Members of the club received glue, shaving cream, laundry detergent, and food dye to create their own unique slime. They also got the opportunity to snack on a variety of gummy bears, chips, and chicken from Wingstop.
Through an RSVP that they had put out weeks before, officers only anticipated a small group of people attending and were shocked to see the actual turnout as the classroom was filled with students.
The unexpected number of students initially became a source of stress as there seemed to be a shortage of supplies for everyone to participate. “ I'm just blessed that we had enough to feed everybody, with the amount of people that are in [here],” Justice reflected.
Senior Tyler Edmond, who discovered the club through his friendship with Khatib, spoke of his love for the club. “I’m having so much fun. It’s very relaxing; it made me take my mind off of school.” Edmond described that this week had been stressful for him, “but taking some time off and just enjoying the activities that are provided here—it really sets the relief off for me.”
Similarly, senior Alexander Rodrigues who joined to “de-stress from all the senior year stuff like getting into colleges, accepting colleges, [and] overall classes,” praised the club’s effectiveness in relieving stress. “The first event was really fun. It's making me think about how when I was little I used to love making slime. So being able to do that after having an anatomy quiz, was very helpful and soothing.”
Sophomore Linh Do also shared, “I think mental health matters and people should be more aware of it…and I also really wanted to make slime. I think it's great because I made really fun slime.”
Sophomore Oscar Luc, who heard about the club through friends and on Instagram, shared this sentiment. “I think it's really fun… I'm making my nice slime and I'm having fun with my friends and I'm laughing a lot.”
Sophomores Destiny Leon and Fiona Youmell pose for a picture, holding up the slime they created; Students talking and eating Wingstop before they make slime; Seniors Alex Rodrigues and Tyler Edmond enjoying their food while conversing. JESSICA LI
With a bake sale on the way to raise more money for the club, MMG hopes to branch out and eventually host outdoor activities, including field trips that are“different than these usual clubs that you don’t see daily,” Justice described.
The club’s ultimate goal is its impact and preservation. “When we graduate, we still want to keep this club going,” Khatib remarked.
“And we want them to do the same things that we do—make sure that snacks are provided [and] make sure [members are] getting the same activities that we're doing,” Justice added.
MMG’s next meeting is on March 1st and involves yet another creative tool for de-stressing, waffle-making.
